March 15
by acatwithshoes
Summary: It couldn't really be today, could it? Already? ONESHOT. Rated for unapologetic, semi-descriptive drug use. Can't handle it, don't read it. Loe.


**Hey guys! It's been forever, but no, I haven't abandoned Here Now, and no, I'm not dead. –Just extremely busy. Anywho, I wrote this little oneshot. Hope you enjoy it! But first:**

**DISCLAIMERS:**

**1. First and foremost, THIS STORY CONTAINS NO REAL PEOPLE. It does, however, contain characters from Hannah Montana. I do not own these characters.**

**2. This story contains drug use. Though it is not meant to be glorifying, it definitely is not D.A.R.E. friendly either. If you can't handle that, press your browser's back button now. I won't take offense. That being said, don't review just to say "omgz! drugz r totaly bad!" because you've been warned.**

Lilly leaned forward and squinted at her computer screen. By this point, all the numbers were just running together. She couldn't for the life of her figure out why her boss had assigned her to this project. It wasn't even in her department. Plus, it was boring as hell…

She rubbed her eyes and looked back to the screen, hoping that the figures would make sense this time. No such luck. With a deep sigh, she resigned herself to spinning aimlessly in her seat, leaning her head back and letting her vision blur out as she stared up at the orbiting skyscape of the high office ceiling. That's when it hit her…

Slamming her feet down to stop her motion, her eyes widened as she began counting down the calendar math on her fingers. 12, 13, 14… It couldn't really be today, could it? Already?

She jumped to her feet, swaying slightly from the ride she had just taken on her desk chair, and cautiously poked her head out of her cubicle. The aisle was empty; everyone must be as busy as she was supposed to be.

She crept to the back wall of her workspace and got up on her tiptoes, craning her neck to see over it. Andrea always kept a little calendar on her desk. Lilly scanned the scene, cringing at all the photos of Andrea's delightfully annoying children until she spotted it. Ignoring the drawing of the cat and its witty remark about Mondays, she focused her attention in on the date.

March 15. It had really been a whole year.

Doing her best to fight back the grin that was beginning to creep up on her face, Lilly plopped back down into her chair and wheeled over to her desk. She took a deep breath and dialed the number she had known by heart for years.

Four rings later, it had gone to voicemail just as she had hoped it would. It made her feel a little better about lying, not having to do it directly to him. Not that she had ever felt particularly guilty about it. Not on March 15.

"Hey, Ollie," she chirped, twisting the phone cord around her finger. "It looks like they're going to keep us after hours to work on that dumb project for corporate, so I'm gonna be pretty late. Don't wait up, okay? I'll see you tonight. Love you! Bye bye."

Lilly hung up the phone and started thinking about all the things she would have to do after she got off work.

Joe sighed as he strode down the narrow dormitory hallway. It was quite a place to be, especially when "Thirsty Thursday" was just kicking into full swing, and he didn't plan on staying any longer than he needed to. Besides being endlessly annoying, it was honestly kind of embarrassing to be there.

He stopped in front of the door and pulled the little slip of paper out of his pocket to check the number one more time. "436," he muttered, shifting his gaze between the door and the paper. This was the place.

Raising his fist, he rapped his knuckles against the door twice and stuffed his hands into his pockets. A short moment later, it opened a crack and he heard a quick "Who is it?"

"Derek sent me," Joe stated simply.

"Derek who?"

He didn't have time for this. "Derek your brother. You have what I need or not?" he asked impatiently.

Just then the door was wrenched opened, and Joe was pulled hastily into the room by a scrawny kid that looked to be about eighteen or nineteen. "Not so loud! My RA is like two doors down!" he rasped in a voice that could only be described as a whisper-scream.

Joe rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Kyle, is it?" The kid nodded. "Okay, Kyle. Derek didn't have any extra, but he said you could help me out. So can you?"

Kyle nodded, suddenly less jittery. "I sure can." He lifted up the back corner of his mattress and pulled out a flat tin. He opened it up and took something out. "This," he said, holding up a plastic baggy and grinning widely, "is what you need."

Joe was obviously less enthused about the entire thing than Kyle. "Alright then," he sighed. "How much?"

"90."

"What the hell?" Joe yelled, despite Kyle's frantic hand signals to stay quiet. "For an eighth?"

"Hey," Kyle cut in, "this is good shit! I crossed it myself. And it's hydro. Totally seedless, totally pure, totally mellow."

Joe glared at him and roughly snatched the bag out of his hands. Pulling open the flap, he smelled the contents and raised an eyebrow. It was good.

"I don't smoke anything else," Kyle assured him, noticing Joe's reaction.

Joe frowned, thinking. That was a hell of a lot of money, but it was the 15th… "Dammit." Exhaling loudly, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the cash.

When Lilly got off work, she raced home as fast as she could. She really did end up staying a little bit late, and if she didn't beat Oliver to the house, everything would go up in smoke. When she pulled into their driveway, she didn't even bother turning off the car before she ran inside. She was back out in under a minute, carrying a garment bag and a bucket full of ice. She would never do these things if it weren't the 15th.

She stopped at a gas station, one she knew Oliver would never go by on his way home from work. Toting her garment bag, she rushed inside and slipped into the public restroom, locking the door behind her. She emerged several minutes later wearing a long red formal dress and the beautiful diamond necklace Oliver had never seen before.

Before she left, she pulled two Yoo-Hoos out of the huge cooler and brought them up front to the cashier.

The checkout girl looked Lilly up and down, then at the two bottles setting on the counter. "Special night?" she asked with a hint of amusement.

Lilly laughed lightly. "Yeah, actually. Anniversary." She reached into her purse and pulled out enough cash to pay for the drinks.

"Well, have a good one."

Lilly smiled. She knew she would. She got back into her car, throwing her other clothes in the back seat, and gingerly set the Yoo-Hoos into the ice she had brought. 'This is it,' she thought as she chewed on the nail of her index finger. It was a habit she had never quite grown out of. But she supposed that that was what this entire night was all about.

Joe looked around once more, congratulating himself on a job well done. He wasn't sure if Lilly knew that he had to show up a little early every year to clean up their "special spot," but he always did. It was a little nook on the beach, far down past where any swimmers or even the surfers went. It had a clear view out to the ocean, but large rocks sheltered the other sides, and brush and litter seemed to have a habit of trapping itself there.

And now, with his work done, he could only sit with butterflies in his stomach. It didn't quite seem to be nervousness that was nagging him, but rather anticipation. Whatever it was, it was making the wait hell. He sat impatiently trying to busy himself by alternating between idly straightening the tassels lining the edge of the picnic blanket he was sitting on, and fiddling with his tie. It wasn't often that he wore a tux, and he still wasn't very good at tying a bowtie. He would have just gotten a fake one, but Lilly had always told him that the real one made him look more like Cary Grant. Chuckling, he thought about how silly he must look every year, sitting on the beach with a tuxedo and no shoes.

His reverie was interrupted when he heard the soft scrape of footsteps in the sand. He jumped up immediately and turned around. There she was. His breath hitched in his chest slightly, just like it did every year. "Lilly," he breathed gently.

She dropped her bucket and smiled at him. "Joe."

Before she knew what was happening, he had picked her up into a hug and spun her around once. "I can't believe it's been a year."

"I know. It snuck up on me this time," she confessed as he set her back down onto the sand.

He held her by her shoulders, getting a good look at her. "You look beautiful tonight," he whispered.

She giggled. "You aren't so bad yourself. My Nickie Ferrante."

Joe smiled. "Well in that case, over here, Miss McKay." He grabbed the bucket and Lilly's hand and led her over to the spot he had made for them.

"Wow," she said, noticing all the candles that lined edges of the rock. "You went all out this year, didn't you?"

"Of course. It's a special year this year," he said as he sat down on the blanket and pulled her along. "Or have you forgotten that too?" he asked teasingly.

She stuck her tongue out at him. "No, I haven't forgotten. But that reminds me…" She reached into the ice and pulled out the two Yoo-Hoos, keeping one and handing the other to Joe. "We need to make a toast. Straight away." She began shaking the bottle, mixing in the chocolate that had settled to the bottom.

"A toast, eh?" Joe asked as he began to shake his own bottle.

Lillynodded. "Yes." She removed the cap and raised her bottle into the air. Joe followed suit. "To ten years," she said grandly.

"Ten years," Joe agreed. "To An Affair to Remember."

Lilly smiled. "To Nickie and Terry. And more importantly, to us."

"And even more importantly still," Joe began solemnly, "to cheap Yoo-Hoo and exorbitantly expensive pot."

"Cheers," Lilly said with a smirk. They clinked their bottles together and each took a drink.

"Well," Joe said, cutting to the chase, "who's rolling?" He pulled the baggie out of his breast pocket and tossed it on the ground between them.

Lilly shook her head. "You don't waste any time, do you?"

"Nope," Joe said shortly. "Life's too short to waste any of it."

Lilly took another drink of her Yoo-Hoo and leaned back. "That's what I love about you, Joey…" When she looked up, she noticed that Joe was still staring at her expectantly, waiting for an answer to his previous question. "Oh, you do it," she said, waving him off. "I never could."

"My pleasure," Joe murmured as he set about his task. He was better at it than he liked to admit, and in no time at all, he held a perfectly rolled joint. "Mi' lady," he said, offering it to Lilly. "Want the green?"

Lilly rolled her eyes. "Such a gentleman. Have it, though. It's all you."

"If you say so," Joe shrugged. He leaned over and lit it off one of the candles. Sitting back up, he closed his eyes and took a long, slow puff, holding it in his lungs for a few seconds before letting it go in a quick whoosh of billowing white smoke, sputtering slightly as he did so. "Here," he said, passing it over to Lilly.

She grabbed it from him and took a hit, the acrid smoke stinging her throat. Almost instantaneously, she began coughing violently, thick smoke floating out of her mouth as she did so.

"Careful, Lils," Joe laughed, clapping her on the back.

"Gimme a break," Lilly pleaded, trying to hold back one last cough. "It's been a year since we've done this!" Joe looked at Lilly, then at the ground, and chewed his lip. "Well, for me at least," she clarified.

Joe bit back a smile and grabbed the joint back from Lilly. "This is what you have to do." He took another long hit, and quickly let the smoke out into a spiraling orb. Just when she thought his trick was over, he quickly breathed in again and sucked all the smoke back into his mouth.

Lilly's jaw dropped. "You… are the grossest."

Joe leaned his head back, blowing the smoke straight up, and laughed. "Like it? That ghost was for you."

"You're ridiculous," Lilly muttered.

"You like it," Joe said matter-of-factly. Lilly looked over at him and tried not to smile. He was right. "So how have you been?" he went on.

"Really good, actually," Lilly said enthusiastically. She grabbed the joint back from Joe and took a short puff. Again, she broke into a coughing fit, though not as bad as last time.

"Good," Joe said distractedly, trying to decide if Lilly was going to be alright. When she had settled herself, he continued. "And how's the newlywed bliss going?"

"Blissfully," Lilly smiled, passing the blunt back to Joe. "It's been almost a year."

"June 13, right?" Lilly bobbed her head affirmatively. "I'm glad. I always liked Oliver."

She hummed in agreement. "And what about you? How have you been doing? Still at the label?"

Joe took another long drag and nodded. "Yeah. I really love it there, too. It's been going really great."

"I thought it would be," Lilly said knowingly. "I was sure you'd be awesome at it. You're a real people person. Speaking of… any new lady friends to tell me about?"

Joe shrugged casually, knowing he would never fool Lilly and not really trying to.

"Ooh," she squealed. "And who's the lucky girl?"

"Her name is Erin," Joe said, positively beaming, "and she's amazing."

"That's awesome, Joe!"

"It is. We've only been dating for like six months, but I think she might be 'The One,'" he admitted.

"I'm so happy for you," Lilly said sincerely. "You deserve a great girl."

"I've always had one," he breathed. "For at least one night of the year."

They sat for a long time making small talk. Friends, family, jobs, and whatever else crossed their mind. Eventually, though, they found themselves sitting in comfortable silence.

Lilly shook her head with a sigh and stared out at the ocean. "We're too old for this."

Joe nodded in agreement. "We really are."

"Just sitting out here like stupid teenagers… Why do we still do it?"

"I don't know," Joe chuckled. "Because we're a little pathetic."

"And because we're classy bastards," Lilly said, grabbing the blunt away from Joe and taking a puff from it. This time, she didn't choke on it.

Joe grinned. "And also because we're classy bastards, obviously. You're getting the hang of it again, huh?"

Lilly giggled. "Kind of humiliating, but yeah. I guess it made more sense when we really were stupid teenagers."

Joe took a sip of his Yoo-Hoo and remembered the night their tradition had begun. It was when he was nineteen and Lilly was only sixteen. After two years of on again off again, hot and cold, over the top, triangle-ridden romance, they finally decided to call it quits. But not without going out with a bang.

"I love you," Joe said as they swayed back and forth to a cheesy slow song at Lilly's school dance.

"Yeah, I love you too," Lilly said distractedly.

"But we can't do this anymore, can we?"

Lilly shook her head. "No, I don't think we can."

Neither one sounded particularly upset. They'd both known this was coming for a long time. Going into the night, it had almost felt as if they had an unspoken agreement that this would be it. No relationship could hold up under all the pressures theirs faced. Oliver and Lilly's constant half-crushes, Joe's career, the general indecisiveness and short attention spans of both of them. Every time they built each other up, it seemed that they would always tear each other down just as quickly.

When the song ended, they held fast to their spot on gym floor, too caught up in their own world to notice that the music had stopped. "It's better to burn out than fade away," Joe quoted quietly.

Lilly cocked her head to one side and gave Joe a questioning look.

"If this is it, we're gonna do it right. Meet me at the beach in half an hour."

She smiled hazily and watched as Joe made his way through the crowd of people and out the door. He always needed to make everything a production.

Lilly made her exit soon after, mumbling some half-coherent excuse to Miley and Oliver, and went home to change her shoes. On her way back out the door, she grabbed a couple bottles of the only thing left in the refrigerator, her dad's Yoo-Hoo. She had never liked it all that much, but beggars couldn't be choosers.

Meanwhile, Joe went home and stole his older brother's pot, an extremely short-lived habit that Kevin wasn't aware anyone had ever found out about and would probably still adamantly deny to this day.

Then, as promised, they met up thirty minutes later.

"And the rest is history," Joe said aloud.

"What?" Lilly asked, obviously not privy to the memories playing back in Joe's mind and therefore clueless of what his proclamation meant.

"Oh, nothing. I was just thinking about our last big hurrah," he said, shaking his head.

Lilly snorted. "It was one hell of a sendoff though, wasn't it?"

"It sure was." He reached over and grabbed the joint out of Lilly's hand, taking another long hit. "Think we ever could have been something?"

Lilly sighed in mild exasperation. "You ask me this every year, Joe."

"And every year, you refuse to answer," he countered.

Lilly stopped and thought about it, ungracefully biting one of her nails as she did so. "Probably," she concluded.

"We just never got the timing down, did we?"

"No, I suppose we didn't." Lilly laid back and stared up at the tiny sliver of the moon. "I think it turned out pretty well for both of us, though. I don't have any regrets."

"No," Joe said, trailing a finger back and forth over the flame of one of the candles. "Me either."

"And I still get my Nickie Ferrante once a year," she giggled. As she looked up at the sky, she didn't notice the sad smile on Joe's face as he took the last hit. "But Joey," she continued, propping herself up on her elbows, "I don't know if we'll be able to do this next year."

He frowned and tossed the joint down into the sand, extinguishing the last glowing embers. "Why not?"

"Well, Oliver and I have been talking about having a baby." Her face broke into a huge smile, and she looked up at him, seemingly waiting for his approval.

"Well then," he began slowly, "next March, I'll bring the Yoo-Hoos."

"Agreed," she said, lying back down.

Joe sighed deeply, lying down flat on his back and putting his hands behind his head to join Lilly as she stared dazedly up at the stars. His Lilly. At least every March 15.

**There it was! Some endnotes:**

**A. I don't know if every part of the country has Yoo-Hoo. If you don't, Yoo-Hoo is a "chocolate drink" that tastes a little like chocolate milk. But it has no milk!**

**B. If you didn't understand the Cary Grant/An Affair to Remember references, don't worry; you didn't really miss anything vital to the plot.**

**C. Before anyone asks… No, I am not a stoner.**

**Thanks for reading, everyone! As always, I really appreciate reviews if you have the time. Thanks again! :o)**

**-Charlotte**


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